MARKETING OF VALUE-ADDED RICE PRODUCTS IN JAPAN: GERMINATED BROWN RICE AND RICE BREAD

Shoichi Ito and Yukihiro Ishikawa, Tottori University, Japan

ABSTRACT

Germinated brown rice (GBR) and rice bread (RB) are two examples of value-added products that attract consumers. GBR and RB currently are becoming increasingly popular setting up fair sized industries in Japan during the last several years. Unlike the ordinary brown rice, GBR can be cooked just like white rice and almost as soft as the white rice, while it holds more nutrition than the ordinary brown rice. GBR is considered to be good for accelerating metabolism in brain, relieving constipation, preventing fatty liver, preventing heart disease, lowering blood pressure, and having many other healthy points. RB is favored by Japanese consumers due to more moisture and better texture than ordinary wheat bread. Nowadays, gluten-free RB and RB using GBR have been developed as new products. Large companies have been producing rice cookers designed for GBR and RB, marketing channels for them are being developed, more various kinds of products based on GBR and RB are on the road, and more and more retail shops are selling GBR and RB. Even school lunch is involved nationwide. The GBR and RB can grow to be some of the keys for recovering the popularity for rice in Japan and other Asian countries where per capita rice consumption is decreasing.

GBR and RB are more costly in Japan. Products of GBR costs about US$10 per kg at a retail shop. RB costs just about 2 times as much as wheat bread. However, the products are being sold well. As more production with more efficient technologies available, the products may be sold at cheaper prices in the future. Imported cheap rice can make the products even cheaper indicating that GBR and RB produced in countries where rice is available at world market prices can be produced at relatively much less costs than in Japan. Increases in consumption of the rice products may be realized continuously, and GBR may become another type of staple food.

GBR is easy to prepare at home, more nutritious, and retains 10 percent more volume than while rice; therefore, GBR can be applied in many countries outside Asia. Non-Asian people do not have so much cohesiveness to while rice like Asians, it may be easy for them to accept GBR. In food-shortage countries, GBR is quite a powerful food to save people as long as they have plenty of drinking water available.

Commercialisation des produits rizicoles à valeur ajoutée au Japon: riz brun germé et pain de riz

Shoichi Ito et Yukihiro Ishikawa, Université de Tottori (Japon)

RÉSUMÉ

Le riz brun germé et le pain de riz sont deux exemples de produits à valeur ajoutée appréciés des consommateurs. Ces produits deviennent de plus en plus populaires et ont donné naissance depuis quelques années à des entreprises industrielles de taille respectable au Japon. Contrairement au riz brun ordinaire, le riz brun germé peut être cuit comme le riz blanc et devient presque aussi moelleux tout en étant plus nutritif que le riz brun classique. On lui attribue les propriétés d’accélérer le métabolisme dans le cerveau, de lutter contre la constipation, d’éliminer les graisses du foie, de prévenir les maladies cardiaques, de faire baisser la pression sanguine et beaucoup d’autres bienfaits pour la santé. Le pain de riz est prisé par les consommateurs japonais car il est moins sec et d’une texture plus agréable que le pain de froment ordinaire. Il est aujourd’hui possible de trouver deux nouveaux produits sur le marché: du pain de riz sans gluten et du pain à base de riz brun germé. De grandes sociétés ont mis au point des cuiseurs spéciaux pour le riz brun germé et le pain de riz; des filières se mettent en place pour les commercialiser; une gamme élargie d’articles à base de riz brun germé et de pain de riz apparaîtra bientôt, et des magasins de détail de plus en plus nombreux vendent ces produits, qui sont même inclus dans l’alimentation scolaire nationale. Le riz brun germé et le pain de riz peuvent être un moyen de redynamiser la popularité du riz au Japon et dans d’autres pays asiatiques où la consommation par habitant baisse.

Le riz brun germé et le pain de riz sont plus onéreux au Japon. Le coût des produits à base de riz brun germé est environ 10 dollars E.U. le kilo au détail et celui du pain de riz est presque le double du pain de froment. Le riz brun germé et le pain de riz se vendent toutefois bien. Dans le futur, avec l’augmentation de la production et l’utilisation de technologies plus efficaces, les prix devraient baisser. Le riz bon marché importé peut aussi permettre de réduire les coûts, ce qui montre que dans les pays où le riz est disponible au prix du marché international, le riz brun germé et le pain de riz peuvent être produits à des coûts très inférieurs à ceux du Japon. La consommation des produits à base de riz pourrait croître de manière régulière et il est possible que le riz brun germé devienne un nouvel aliment de base.

Le riz brun germé, plus nutritif et 10 percent plus volumineux que le riz blanc, se prépare sans difficulté chez soi. Il peut donc être utilisé par de nombreux pays en dehors de l’Asie. Les consommateurs non asiatiques ne sont pas aussi attachés au riz blanc, ce qui facilitera peut-être l’acceptation de ce nouveau produit. Dans les pays victimes de pénuries alimentaires, le riz brun germé est un aliment très efficace pour sauver des vies humaines à condition que suffisamment d’eau potable soit disponible.

Comercialización de productos de arroz con valor añadido en el Japón: arroz moreno germinado y pan de arroz

Shoichi Ito y Yukihiro Ishikawa, Universidad de Tottori, Japón

RESUMEN

El arroz moreno germinado y el pan de arroz son dos ejemplos de productos con valor añadido que interesan a los consumidores. El arroz moreno germinado y el pan de arroz están adquiriendo más popularidad y han dado lugar a la creación de industrias de buen tamaño en el Japón en los últimos años. A diferencia del arroz moreno común y corriente, el arroz moreno germinado se puede cocinar como cualquier arroz blanco y es casi tan suave como éste, además de tener más propiedades nutritivas que el arroz moreno común y corriente. Se considera que el arroz moreno germinado contribuye a acelerar el metabolismo en el cerebro, combate el extreñimiento, evita la acumulación de grasa en el hígado, previene las enfermedades del corazón, disminuye la presión de la sangre y muchas otras ventajas para la salud. El pan de arroz es del gusto del consumidor japonés porque retiene más humedad y tiene mejor textura que el pan de trigo ordinario. Ahora hay nuevos productos de pan de arroz sin glúten y pan de arroz elaborado con arroz moreno germinado. Grandes empresas han estado produciendo aparatos para cocer el arroz especiales para el arroz moreno germinado y el pan de arroz. Se están creando los canales de comercialización para estos aparatos y están preparándose más productos de arroz moreno germinado y pan de arroz, y cada vez más tiendas minoristas venden estos dos productos. Incluso en los almuerzos escolares de todo el país se incluyen estos productos. El arroz moreno germinado y el pan de arroz pueden convertirse en elementos clave para recuperar la popularidad del arroz en el Japón y en otros países asiáticos en los que está disminuyendo el consumo per cápita de arroz.

El arroz moreno germinado y el pan de arroz son más costosos en el Japón. Los productos de arroz moreno germinado cuestan alrededor de 10 dólares EE.UU. por kilogramo en el comercio minorista. El pan de arroz cuesta aproximadamente el doble que el pan de trigo. Con todo, ambos productos se venden bien. Conforme la producción disponga de tecnología más eficaz, los productos podrán venderse a precios más económicos en el futuro. El arroz importado barato puede abaratar todavía más estos productos, lo que indica que se puede producir arroz moreno germinado y pan de arroz en los países donde el arroz está a precios del mercado mundial, a un costo muy inferior que en el Japón. El consumo de productos de arroz puede aumentar constantemente, y el arroz moreno germinado podría convertirse en otro tipo de producto alimentario básico.

El arroz moreno germinado es fácil de preparar en casa, es más nutritivo y conserva 10 por ciento más de volumen que el arroz blanco, por ello, el arroz moreno germinado puede utilizarse en muchos otros países además de los de Asia. Los pueblos no asiáticos no tienen tanto apego al arroz blanco como los asiáticos, podrían aceptar con facilidad el arroz moreno germinado. En los países donde hay escasez de alimentos, el arroz moreno germinado es un alimento con muchas propiedades para salvar a las personas, siempre que dispongan de abundante agua para beber.

Marketing of value-added rice products in Japan: Germinated brown rice and rice bread

Shoichi Ito and Yukihiro Ishikawa, Tottori University, Japan

Introduction

Rice consumption in Japan has been decreasing since the mid 1960s. During recent years, it has been decreasing by 1 percent a year. Accordingly, the domestic rice production, which is the heart of agriculture in Japan, has also been decreasing. The same trend is observed in many Asian countries, such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and even in China. In China, per capita rice consumption has been steadily decreasing since the early 1990’s. To stop declining rice consumption is a critical issue. To develop some value-added rice products is important to encourage rice consumption as a whole. Germinated brown rice (GBR) and rice bread (RB) are two examples that attract consumers. GBR and RB currently are becoming increasingly popular setting up fair sized industries in Japan during the last several years. Large companies have been producing rice cookers designed for GBR and RB, marketing channels for them are being developed, more products based on GBR and RB are on the road, and more and more retail shops are selling GBR and RB. Even school lunch is involved nationwide. The GBR and RB can grow to be some of the keys for recovering the popularity for rice in Japan and other Asian countries.

Germinated brown rice (GBR)

• Background of GBR rice

Nutrition of germinated grains has been studied since decades ago. Finney (1978) showed enhancement of wheat and soybean seeds if they were germinated. Tkachuk (1979) also found similar situation in wheat. Saikusa, Horino and Mori (1994) found that g-amirobutyric acid (GABA) increased dramatically if brown rice is soaked in 40 degrees in Celsius water for 8 hours to 24 hours. Okada et al. (2000) reported that intake of GABA for 8 consecutive weeks suppressed blood pressure and improved sleeplessness, and autonomic disorder observed during the menopausal or presenile period. More recently, Jeon et al. (2003) found that GBR may be effective for suppressing liver damage. In Japan, people in the ancient era may have been eating brown rice soaked (Kayahara, 2003).

GBR was established for marketing in Japan in 1995. GBR products were developed and marketed first by Domer Co. (Ueda City, Nagano Pref.) and the city government, Mino-cho of Kagawa Pref., was one of the earliest organizations engaged in the production of GBR. It is now produced by several private companies including agricultural cooperatives. During the last decade, 49 items related to GBR have been patented. The method to make GBR is quite simple. Soak the brown rice for one night or two depending on temperature and they are germinated. This process make the internal minerals change, and the brown rice becomes more nutritious, easier to chew and tastier.

Contribution of GBR to health

Eating brown rice became popular in Japan back in the 1970’s. That was because of rich fiber and other nutrients contained in the brown rice. However, the popularity did not last long due to the fact that brown rice had to be cooked in the pressure cooker and was still hard to chew and less tasty. GBR overcame the problem. It can be cooked in an ordinary rice cooker and is soft enough to chew even for children. Further, an added benefit is the fact that GBR is much more nutritious.

During the process of being germinated, nutrients in the brown rice change drastically. Various types of analyses on germinated brown rice have been conducted in Japan. Those major nutrients that increase in content in the GBR are g-amirobutyric acid (GABA), dietary fiber, inositols, ferulic acid, phytic acid, tocotrienols, magnesium, potassium, zinc, g-oryzanol, and prolylendopeptidase inhibitor (Kayahara and Tukahara, 2000). Kayahara and Tsukahara indicate that volume of nutrients contained in GBR relative to milled rice are 10 times for GABA, nearly 4 times for dietary fiber, vitamin E, niacine and lysine, and about 3 times for vitamin B₁ and B₆, and Magnesium (Fig. 1). Accordingly, they conclude that continuous intake of GBR is good for accelerating metabolism of brain, preventing headache, relieving constipation, preventing cancer of colon, regulating blood sugar level, preventing heart disease, lowering blood pressure as well as preventing Alzheimer’s disease (Table 1).

Table 2 shows the results of analyses on nutrients contained in GBR relative to the situation of brown rice before germination. In these analyses, we selected not only Japanese rice but also California medium grains (Calrose and M401 varieties) and Vietnamese long grains (ordinary grains and jasmine rice). Through many chemical analyses, it was indicated that level of moisture and length of period after harvest influence whether the brown rice can be germinated or not. These two factors appear to influence the magnitude of change in nutrients. Therefore, those two items are shown in the table as well. The results of the analyses indicate that there is a significant change in profiles of free amino acids for all brown rice as they get germinated. GABA increased from 3.6 to 6.1 for the Vietnamese ordinary long grain despite the extremely low germination rate. GABA in Calrose increased more than two times from 4.9 to 10.9 and for M401 more than three times from 2.7 to 9.8 with germination rates of 90 percent and 56 percent, respectively. For the Japanese Koshihikari and Hitomebore varieties, GABA increased from 7.6 to 16.6 and from 10.5 to 13.6, respectively, with high germination rates.

Preparation and marketing of GBR

The basic procedure to prepare GBR is; first select good brown rice to germinate; second, soak it for some 20 hours in warm water at around 30 to 40 degrees in Celsius or longer with cooler temperature; changing water a few times depending on smell being developed during the soaking; wash it lightly before cooking. GBR producing companies pack it into two types; dry and wet. Moisture level of dry and wet GBR are generally at 15 percent and 30 percent, respectively. The marketing procedures are conducted mainly through three routes: Catalogue, internet and retail shopping.

Market prices of the GBR is at the range of 1 000 yen (appr. US$9.00) to 800 yen (US$7.00) per 1 kg comparing the prices for the ordinary milled rice ranging from about 300 yen to 600 yen depending upon quality. Although GBR can be easily prepared at home, they are priced extraordinarily high for sale. The GBR was originally started in 1995. Nowadays, GBR products are being sold as much as 15 000 MT in Japan, and the marketed value as much as approximately 15 billion yen. Total rice consumption in Japan is currently about 9 million MT in brown rice basis. The industry has targeted total sales of GBR in Japan at 90 000 MT, a 1 percent of the total rice consumption, in the near future.

GBR is also served at restaurants. An oriental atmosphere restaurant in Kyoto has served home-made GBR rice since 5 years ago. The owner insists that GBR attracts young women. GBR is often quoted in periodicals featuring health and fashion. Both the aged for mainly health and young mainly for fashion and health appear to appreciate the GBR.

GBR is already applied to many products such as GBR rice-balls, GBR soup, GBR bread, GBR doughnuts, GBR cookies, GBR rice burger, etc. GBR is mixed with other materials in those products. GBR can be applied to many dishes in the world. Italian risotto, Spanish paella, Brazilian fejoada, and Indian curry and rice, etc may be suitable for using GBR. It can be used even for sushi. Among all those possibilities, making GBR at home is the best, cheapest and most nutritious. Because GBR is eaten as brown rice, there is no 10 percent loss which usually occurs during the milling process from brown rice. GBR’s high nutrition content is quite critical when food supply is short.

GBR can be applied to indica rice. Indica rice often contains some bitter tasting material on the outer layer of the grains. Accordingly, it is suggested to soak it in the refrigerator for an extra day or two before cooking (Horino, 2004). Horino hints that the parboiled rice process may be applied for GBR rather easily for the indica rice. Before steaming the rough rice, the rice can be germinated first.

Rice bread (RB)

• Growing business

RB became possible to make by the creation of fine rice flour developed by the Niigata Food Products Research Institute (Niigata-ken Shokuhin Bunseki Senta). Rice bread is getting more popular in Japan. In Tottori City, some 15 000 kids have been enjoying rice bread twice a month. According to the questionnaire the City office surveyed as of 2002, 50 percent of the kids feel that rice bread is enjoyable, 23 percent neutral, and 27 percent moderately dislike it. After a year of eating rice bread regularly, about 80 percent of the kids show their fondness toward rice bread.

RB is generally made with 80 percent rice flour and 20 percent gluten. In Japan, rice is relatively much more expensive than wheat. For rice bread, therefore, low quality rice or old rice, which is substantially cheaper than ordinary new rice, is being used. Rice that is 5 to six years old can be used for rice bread and the quality of the bread is not necessarily impaired much, according to the bakeries..

More varieties of rice bread are being developed; plain rice bread, raisin rice bread, nut rice bread, rice bread rolls, croissant rice bread, and many other kinds. They have established gluten-free rice bread using only rice flour mainly. This type of rice bread is suitable for those who are allergic to gluten.

Rice bread is being sold commercially, and the number of bakeries selling rice bread is increasing nowadays. Prices of RB at bakeries are quite expensive relative to wheat rice. In a Tottori bakery shop, one loaf of rice bread is sold for 450 yen (about US$4.00) and wheat bread for 150 yen (about US$1.40). Rice bread is about 3 times as expensive as wheat rice. In this bakery, which started selling rice bread in November 2002, rice bread has now grown to account for 20 percent of its total sale value.

There are no official statistics to show how much of rice bread is being consumed in Japan. In 2001, one milling company used as much as 1,100 MT of rice for bread flour.

Costs of Rice Bread

Costs of rice bread in Japan is relatively much more expensive than wheat. Tables 3 and 4 show cost items to produce rice bread flour in Japanese yen and the U.S. dollars, respectively, converting yen into dollar using exchange rate of 105 yen a dollar. One kilogram of brown rice costs 120 yen or US$1.14, which is the price for low quality rice and substantially cheaper than the costs for table rice at around US$4.00/kg. Charge for milling for milled rice is US$0.1/kg. A loss of 15 percent occurs when low quality rice is milled with a milling rate at 85 percent. Therefore, accumulated price for 1 kg of milled rice turns out to be US$1.46. Then, a charge for flouring is US$0.86/kg with milling rate at 80 percent. Thus, accumulated costs so far is US$2.89/kg. Finally, rice flour must be added with wheat gluten to become sticky. This is US$3.81/kg in Japan. If rice flour 80 percent and gluten 20 percent are mixed, the cost for the mix becomes US$3.08. This compares with wheat flour at US$0.8 in Japan. Rice bread flour is nearly 4 times more expensive over wheat flour. Rice bread at the school lunch in Tottori is being subsidized by the city government just for the additional portion of the cost over wheat bread. The national Japanese government provides subsidies to schools if they use old rice for bread. Rice bread is provided at schools in 11 prefectures out of 47 in Japan as of 2003 replacing wheat bread. The number may be increasing in 2004.

What would be the cost different between rice bread flour and wheat flour in the world market? Table 5 indicates an estimate based on world prices. Price of milled rice is from Thai 100 percentB market price. Adding charge for flouring at US$0.1/kg and gluten at US$2.7/kg, costs of rice bread flour become US$0.84, which compares with US$0.25/kg at the wholesale market (Wheat Outlook Yearbook, 2003). Rice bread flour still appears to be almost 3 times more expensive than its counterpart of wheat.

Conclusions

Germinated brown rice (GBR) and rice bread (RB) are two examples of recent rice products that have been becoming quite popular in Japan. GBR holds much more nutrition over milled rice or ordinary brown rice. Because it can be prepared at home without much effort, GBR could be well used as a tool to improve food security in food shortage regions. For developed countries, GBR can be a dietary food for improvement of health. Despite of the high prices of GBR marketed in Japan, increase in consumption appears to be prominent. Currently, GBR is being produced using japonica rice. However, indica rice may be well suited as well. Because GBR is easily made at home once good brown rice is obtained, it’s popularity should spread throughout the world.

Rice bread came out just a few years ago. It is now developed into several type of bread and they are quite attractive to the consumers in Japan despite the fact that they are much more expensive than wheat bread. In the world market, the costs of rice bread is still much greater than wheat; however, it has the potential to grow in many countries in the future. Nowadays, gluten-free rice bread (100 percent rice) has been developed. This type of bread is good for those who are allergic to gluten. Rice bread is now used for school lunch in many areas in Japan. This way, kids can develop taste for rice bread and this may lead them to appreciate rice for life.

GBR and RB may hold great potential in many ways. First, the very Asian peoples may re-recognize the significance of rice as a healthy food. Second, eating as GBR instead of milled rice, it is possible to save 10 percent in volume. Third, people can enjoy new types of rice products such as RB. Finally, those new ways of consuming rice may attract those people who are traditionally non-rice eaters.

Acknowledgment: Our analyses on nutrition of GBR for rices from California and Vietnam were made possible due to help from Kitoku-Shinryou Co. (Tokyo) and the Kitoku America, Inc. (Davis, California). The authors would like to express their appreciation. Appreciation of the authors’ is also extended to Mr. Alias Bin Abdullah for his editorial assistance.

References

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California Rice Research Board: "Rice Utilization and Product Utilization - 02," visited in January 2004. http://www.syix.com/rrb/02rpt/proddevel.htm

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Horino, Toshiroh: telephone conversation with the authors, National Agricultural Research Center for Western Region (WeNARC), Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan, February 2004.

Jeon Tae Il, Hwang Seong-Gu, Lim B. O, and Park D. K.: "Extracts of Phellinus Linteus Grown on Germinated Brown Rice Suppress Liver Damage Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride in Rats," Biotechnology Letters, 25(24) pp.2093-6, December 2003.

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Figure 1. Ratios of nutritional volumes of pre-germinated brown rice compared with those of polished rice level indicated on the dotted line

Source: Kayahara and Tsukahara (2000)

Table 1. Selected examples of biological activities in Pre-germinated brown rice

Source: Kayahara and Tsukahara (2000)

Table 2. Main free amino acids profiles and properties of brown rice (BR) and germinated brown rices (GBR)

* This includes other types of free amino acids.

Experimental procedure: Three grams of brown rice was scaled in a 50 ml centrifuging tube (Corning) and added with 20 ml of distilled water. After germination at 30^oC for 20 hours, water was discarded and 6 ml of 5 percent TCA (trichloroacetic acid: containing ornithine (5 µmol/ml) as a standard substance) was added to germinated rice, which was then homogenized and centrifuged. The resulting supernatant was poured into a test tube, and its pH was adjusted to 2.2 with sodium hydroxide. A mixture of 400 ul of the pH adjusted supernatant and 1.2 ml of citrate buffer solution (pH 2.2) was passed through a filter (4.5 um) and 400 µl of the filtrate was analyzed on an amino acid analyzer.